The Labyrinth Makers

When an RAF Dakota, presumed lost at sea in 1945, is discovered in a drained lake in Lincolnshire, together with its pilot and a cargo of worthless rubble, it falls to David Audley of the MOD to puzzle out just why the Russians are so interested in the discovery - and what the plane was carrying that is important enough to kill for.

New series, start with this one since audible does not have these numbered yet, I went to amazon to find out where to start. I have listened to three of these treasures before writing this review. I find these spy novels a little more accessible than Le Carre and less prurient than Littell (both of which I totally love). These novels are perhaps a little quieter and the characters deeper. Although the plots are no less intricate and satisfying. I find a bit of Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham here too. Please forgive the name dropping, but if description fails, simile seems to do the trick. If any of these authors appeal, and even if they don't, give this author a try, I do not think you will be disappointed.

Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia

Through the stories of fellow travelers, Greene explores the challenges and opportunities facing the new Russia: a nation that boasts open elections and newfound prosperity yet still continues to endure oppression, corruption, and stark inequality. Set against the wintery landscape of Siberia, Greene’s lively travel narrative offers a glimpse into the soul of 20th century Russia: how its people remember their history and look forward to the future.

It may have helped that we are in the middle of a cold snap just now, but I feel like I have been in Siberia. I am a student of ww2 history and and it's Soviet aftermath so I especially enjoyed this book and will continue to ponder the troubling questions posed by the author for a long time. In the meantime, I have vicariously partaken of the food, the sites, the music and the stories of these extrodinary people. While listening to this book, I stayed busy online following our progress, watching you tube videos of the singing Babushkas, and reading recipes for borsht. If you cried (or maybe just had a tear in your eyes) during the recent Olympics for the conflicting emotions of joy for these people, hatred for their system and what it has done to them and pride for their perserverence, then you will enjoy this book. Truly, Mr Greene, 5 plus weeks on the train and only a 7 hour book? I would have been begging for more if it had been twice as long. Now I am just very sad that it is over...

The highest-ranking Soviet bloc intelligence official ever to defect to the West, Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa is at it again. A quarter century ago, in his international bestseller Red Horizons, Pacepa exposed the massive crimes and corruption of his former boss, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu, giving the dictator a nervous breakdown and inspiring him to send assassination squads to the U.S. to find his former spy chief and kill him. They failed.

I have read/listened to approx. 35 nonfiction (and almost the same in fiction) books on WW2 and it's aftermath, and the opinion of the Pope's behavior during the war is almost never favorable. Imagine my surprise to find out what might have been going on behind the scenes. Only one of the examples of disinformation. Brought up to the present day the examples pile up. In the US we are so naïve in our own lives, we can't imagine paranoia on the scale of the soviet block, its a wonder that we are still here. Can you imagine what your friends would say if you tried to point out that this news story or that is a Russian conspiracy? Be vigilant, but not paranoid (McCarthy may have been right, but his behavior and his misuse of power was wrong). This book will change the way you think about our history. Google the author for more interesting information.PS, never confuse crazy governments with the incredible citizens who are forced to live under them. When you meet them, remember what kind of world they live(d) in. Call the police and you may be calling the criminals themselves, imagine having not recourse to justice anywhere.

Red Sparrow: A Novel

Drafted against her will to become a "Sparrow" - a trained seductress in the service, Russian intelligence officer Dominika Egorova is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a first-tour CIA officer who handles the CIA's most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception, and inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America's valuable mole in Moscow.

Great plot, great pacing.Right up there with the best, I could have done this one in just one sitting! Even the recipes seemed sinister as read in the dead pan narrators style. Somehow it really works. As the character sees things in colors, I tend to see things in flavors so this tour of exotic locals in terms of food really appeals! Mr Matthews has a great career ahead! There is room for improvement in the sex and violence scenes. The sex is a little boring and violence of the torture scenes needlessly graphic. Sometimes less detail is more effectively chilling.Having said that, this is a fast, well developed and very tightly plotted novel. Right up there with Silva, Le Carte et al, don't miss it!All in all worth the credit, unputdownable 9 out of 10! I can't wait for the next one!

I think I will need to buy this one in print also since I do want to make some of the recipes!

How the Light Gets In: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Book 9

Shadows are falling on the usually festive Christmas season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone. As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines.

If you have enjoyed this series, this ranks right up there with Still Life and A Rule Against Murder (well, they are all my favorites). This could be a stand alone novel, but I think it may be best to savour them one at a time in order. The joy comes with getting to know and love your friends as you listen to these books. I was shocked to find out in the closing interview that Ralph Cosham reads these books cold and unpracticed, his narration is a masterpiece. My only disappointment is that after months of waiting, I did listen to this one in a day (painting my house, I made great progress), and now I have to wait for the next one.Terrific storyline and a great ending, tight and awesome story telling, LP has hit it out of the park again. Make a cup of tea (or get the paint brushes out) and enjoy!

Great Masters: Shostakovich - His Life and Music

Dmitri Shostakovich is without a doubt one of the central composers of the 20th century. Drawing on both the flood of declassified documents from the Soviet Union that began in 1991 and Shostakovich's own extraordinarily frank posthumous reminiscences, Professor Greenberg shows how Shostakovich, who, in the words of a friend, "did not want to rot in a prison or a graveyard" was still unwilling to become a docile instrument of the Soviet regime.

Prof Greenberg brings us through the life of this great composer against the backdrop of Stalin's regime during the purges before and after WW2. It is an unforgettable tour de force of music and history that makes you cringe and maybe even cry. Set in context, this body of work is a microcosm of the horror, and yet beautiful too. We stand in awe of what it took to bring art out of this turmoil that was the USSR when just surviving was a risk. Listening to this series is will bring it to life, amazing!

Classics of Russian Literature

Russian literature famously probes the depths of the human soul, and in this series of 36 insightful lectures prepared by a frequently honored teacher legendary among educators in both the United States and Russia-you probe just as deeply into the extraordinary legacy that is Russian Literature itself.Professor Weil introduces you to masterpieces such as Tolstoy's War and Peace, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, Gogol's Dead Souls, Chekhov's The Seagull, Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, and many other great novels, stories, plays, and poems.

Who was Gorky? What made Tolstoy tick? Why was Pushkin a great poet? If you have any interest at all in great literature, get this course! Prof. Weil not only delivers a compelling study of these and many other authors, but does so in English and Russian (which he speaks so beautifully you might feel compelled to try it yourself). The history and literature of this tragic country has never been told with such understanding and respect ( governments not withstanding). I can not recommend enough! Get this book! But be ready, now its time to listen to War and Peace, Dr Zhivago, The Brother Karamazov, and The Gulag Archipelago, and about fifteen others! Can't wait!

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition

Great music is a language unto its own, a means of communication of unmatched beauty and genius. And it has an undeniable power to move us in ways that enrich our lives-provided it is understood.If you have ever longed to appreciate great concert music, to learn its glorious language and share in its sublime pleasures, the way is now open to you, through this series of 48 wonderful lectures designed to make music accessible to everyone who yearns to know it, regardless of prior training or knowledge.

Lee the reader says:"Wonderful, I've wanted this for so long...but..."

The recent addition of the "Great Courses" is, for me like an invitation to a great feast! Starting with this unbelievable "dish". Robert Greenberg is a great teacher. I have no musical training or ability, just appreciation, but I can now hold my own in a discussion of music and composers. Prof. Greenberg is able to put music in a historical context as well as the personalities of the composers. His excitement for telling the "story" draws you in and keeps you wanting more. You may find yourself wanting to learn more about the history of a country, the food, the literature, etc, just because you had a taste of the music. There is truly nothing better than a great "story" well told! I am so pleased the Teaching Company has found and featured world class instructors so you and I can enjoy the learning! And I am overjoyed they are now available at Audible! I just can not say enough about this awesome course, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Stalin's Children: Three Generations of Love, War, and Survival

On a midsummer day in 1937, a black car pulled up to a house in Chernigov, in the heart of the Ukraine. Boris Bibikov - Owen Matthews’ grandfather - kissed his wife and two young daughters good-bye and disappeared inside the car. His family never saw him again. His wife would soon vanish as well, leaving Lyudmila and Lenina alone to drift across the vast Russian landscape during World War II. Separated as the Germans advanced in 1941, they were miraculously reunited against all odds at the war’s end.

This is a story that tells of the horrors of the Stalinist (and previous and later) regimes. Any thinking person just can not make sense of it all. But it is history in all it's unbelievable twists and turns and how it shaped these peoples lives. What a story! These are real people who suffered with their families things that are just too awful to imagine. The narrator has a very good voice but strange inflection that took a little getting used to.

In This Hospitable Land

When the Germans invade Belgium in 1940, chemistry professor André Sauverin fears the worst. His colleagues believe their social and political positions will protect them during the occupation, but André knows better. He has watched Hitler’s rise to power and knows the Nazis will do anything to destroy their enemies. For the Sauverins are Jews, non-practicing, yes, but that won’t matter to the Germans - or to the Belgians desperate to protect themselves by informing on their neighbors. And so André and his brother Alex take their parents, wives, and children and flee south.

First let me say that this is a great listen! If you are interested in a story of ww2 France that shows the heroism of ordinary people, you will not go wrong! I went to amazon and looked up this book, and was delighted to see six pictures of the main characters and the places they lived, that was wonderful! This is not sophisticated writing and probably could have used a little more editing, but it is a solid heartfelt story of the author's wife's family's experiences. This book is also priced so reasonably for it's length, it is a great value, so I was quite impressed by the quality of the research. I would have loved a little more of what happened to everyone at the end, but that is because I really didn't want it to end, and didn't want to leave these people just yet. But I would have thought that, even if there had been more. Get this book! You will enjoy it!

A New Kind of War

A New Kind of War takes us back to the Greece and Germany of 1945 - as the old kind of war comes to its official end. Why has David Audley broken the British-Greek truce? And furthermore, why did his brigadier order his actions? Is it just coincidence that Audley is surprised near Delphi by Captain Fattorini of the Royal Engineers?As a result of that unfortunate encounter, Fattorini finds himself in occupied Germany as the newest member of TRR-2: a special intelligence unit engaged in a dangerous and brutal game.

What do you say when you listen to the perfect book, read by the perfect narrator?And I am embarrassed to say, from an author I have been completely unaware of until just a few weeks ago? Words fail, and I have already given 5 stars to the predecessors so now what? Bravo Audible!Ww2, spies, and David Audley as a young man. The scene of the office's mess is just about the best English military scene I have ever watched (and I mean I was there!).The mystery (plot) Is subtle and believable, the characters full and their images clear. I said something in one of the other reviews of this series about this author being a LeCarre light and now am faced with a retraction that I am wrong, this Series has Smiley on the run. (Not that I could do without). Anyway, the only sadness is that these books are not long enough and there are only 18 of them, so savor them and delight in great audible story telling. This book may be in my top 5 ever. Okay, I will stop now, but you get the idea...

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